When playing Baldur’s Gate 3, the amount of classes you have available to you can seem overwhelming. With an extreme amount of customization options available to you, the power of creativity could never be higher. That being said there will always be a hierarchy for what comes out on top as every class has its ups and downs. Luckily, when mixed with the right race, any class can become useful. That being said, keep your eyes open for the unique bonuses that make these classes powerful!
When making this list, considerations for playability, versatility, and longevity were kept in mind. In short, how effective each class is when measured up to Baldur’s Gate 3 playstyle. Like the fantasy race rankings, the classes will be broken down from low-tier, mid-tier, to high-tier! When making these decisions the subclasses, and ability to cast magic or use combat maneuvers will be considered along with feats and bonuses.
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Low Tier
These low-tier classes get their spot usually because they’re less than adequate either on or off the battlefield. It’s important to note that this is going off the class themselves and not pairing them with any particular race when ranking them. That being said, even the lowest tier classes can become effective at higher levels, albeit with a significant cap compared to others.
Ranger – A Rogue Without Sneak Attacks
The ranger class is a confusing mess in Baldur’s Gate 3 due to its constant need to use ranged weapons and checks that a rogue would do. The ranger traditionally should be a naturalist version of the rogue, however, the game doesn’t give you enough opportunities for this. One of the main gripes that could be said is that this class lacks anything unique. You can’t have the same level of animal companion as on the tabletops which severely limits the Ranger’s abilities.
When building a ranger, you can take a feat in wizardry or sorcery, which grants much more damage. Despite that, rangers are item classes, so you’ll want to build up your craftables. A ranger’s perks are their social checks with animals and their ability to communicate with them. In spite of this, the druid is also a playable class that can use ranged attacks, so there’s no reason to be a ranger.
Probably the worst of the bunch, the ranger class feels out of place in Baldur’s Gate 3
While the Ranger may be a hard-to-pallet class due to its seeming picking and choosing from other classes it does have one benefit. The ranger subclasses, including Gloomstalker, are incredibly potent for sneaking around. Unfortunately, even this is objectively the same as a Rogue with the means to turn invisible, something most will try to accomplish. For this reason, the ranger finds itself at the lowest tier of the game though it is viable in combat.
Barbarian – Fighting Intensive
Barbarians are a great class to choose if you want to swing your way out of nearly every situation. On the downside that’s exactly all you’ll be doing. Barbarians are a very strength-oriented class that can be a wonderful tank addition to any group. However, they lack a lot of social abilities. In Baldur’s Gate 3, they have subscribed to the intelligence dump stat approach making barbarians hard to play with. This is contradictory to the fact that they often use wisdom stats to pad this issue out, however, it is what it is.
Barbarians are great early to late game for taking a lot of damage and giving it right back. That being said, they lack a lot of natural magical abilities along with social checks making them hard to work with. They can defeat their foes quickly, but being bad at conversation means you’ll be getting a very surface-level experience. Instead where I find this class shines is through allowing your companions to interact with the world.
Barbarian
Barbarians would do well to take on fighting maneuvers as a feat, or to focus on being heavily armored as a perk. In this way, you can keep your character tanky and able to deal heavy damage through your rage ability. Barbarians can easily wield two-handed weapons, making them devastating early on, though equally, they struggle in social settings. To make up for this, try to add as many points to intimidation or perception to gain an upper hand in these situations.
Monk – Long Buildup
Monks are an interesting placement in the lower tier because they aren’t an inherently bad choice for experienced players. The problem comes in when these monks require a lot of build-up, and the constant addition of magic-wielding threats is a problem. You have to maneuver these characters in such a way that playing as a monk feels a whole lot more like running away than fighting. That being said, once the monk is built up, they have significant viability through their magic and skill.
Monks hold the issue of being lightly armored and preferring smaller implements of weapons, or no weapons at all. Their unarmed bonus makes them useful for low-level enemies, however, boss fights can be a bit of a pain. Their access to ki magic makes them capable in some respects however they often feel like they are struggling. The monk works best when he can get surprised by an enemy, which makes you wonder why they aren’t just a rogue.
Monk
Monks are best built around a highly mobile playstyle. Keeping your character up front and person with disarming strikes and sweeping attacks will make you aggressively more useful. The problem with this class is that monks are susceptible to damage from being lightly armored. Keep this in mind when playing as one, and be prepared to try and disengage as much as possible. Outside of combat, the monk is decent in social situations and can act as a religious Scholar in many regards. It’s a shame that given the game’s depth, the monk just feels a little left out.
Fighter – Limited Gameplay
There’s nothing inherently wrong with enjoying a fighter over any other class, however, they do have their downsides. For instance, the fighter is limited to having a few flaws, but a lot of combat strengths. Depending on their race they are decent in whatever you want them to be, however, they have a very one-track mind. What makes them better than the barbarians is their ability to wield a wide variety of weapons and armor. Additionally, they get a second wind ability which is very useful, especially in early games.
Fighters are extremely combat-heavy classes and their subclasses likewise focus on this aspect. Unfortunately, because of this, the only viable ones are Battle Master and Eldritch Knight, the ladder giving you more ranged capabilities. The fighter additionally has the problem of needing to generally get up close with their target unless they’ve chosen a ranged build. With strength as the main stat of a fighter, it makes it difficult to do much else with them.
Fighter
There are plenty of merits to the fighter class, from being able to obtain a lot more feats than most classes to having access to heavy armor. The fighter can also gain two attacks faster than most classes, making them ideal for taking on tougher opponents. A good fighter will build their social skills to round out that fighting prowess lest they become a very one-sided character with limited uses.
Mid Tier
Mid-tier classes are generally those with a lot of magical abilities and alternate pathways. Unfortunately, because of their middle-ground natures, they aren’t bad to choose but aren’t the outright best. These will generally include the four most restricting magic wielders as they require a patron, alignment, or certain limitation in order to use.
Warlock – Tip Toeing The Line
In Baldur’s Gate 3, warlocks are known for their ability to make pacts with non-celestial forces. Their magic allows for extra flavor text for a decent side story, but they have some limitations. If you don’t follow the rules of the pact, bad things will happen, just look at Wyll. There’s a common joke that warlocks sell their souls for a 1d8 arrow, and it’s unfortunately true. The class is great for wielding magic early on, but that magic is more limited than other potential classes.
Warlock – Wyll
Warlocks have exceptional abilities when it comes to being a combat caster, potentially more so than most others. The issue is, their magic is very much oriented for that combat, though this isn’t to say they don’t have versatility. The problem is, that they are limited to the evil alignment and intentions of their patron, and in that they are trapped by this limitation. So if you enjoy playing an evil character, drink the coffee, and have a fun ride!
The ideal warlock is built to have as much spell viability as possible, mixing attacks with buffs and debuffs. You want to keep your character well-armed, and mobilized, never staying in one particular spot. Luckily, warlocks function in part like a watered-down fighter, allowing you a fair level of versatility. Additionally, their summoning magic can greatly change the plane of a battlefield!
Paladin – Holy Crusaders
Now paladins are one of those classes that you either love them or you don’t. Serving as the complete opposite of a warlock, they gain their powers through celestial means. This typically implies that a paladin will be a good character unless they choose to go down the path of the oath breaker. Either way, your magic will be highly versatile so long as you stay within your oath’s parameters. This operates similarly to pacts except paladins gain smites, extra armor, and weapons, along with healing.
Paladin
The paladin works best when they are smiting their opponents and inciting religious knowledge to those around them. They don’t do well in a party with dedicated evil standing, once this happens they become oathbreakers and lose a lot of their bonuses. The best way to avoid this is to play to your character’s strengths, and paladins have a lot to hit in Baldur’s Gate 3! Paladins are some of the best up close and personal attackers in the game, with decent defense and offense!
A well-built paladin utilizes their charisma as well as their strength in order to make the most of their play style. You will have a very up close and personal attacker, so getting optimal armor and weapons for your situation is key. A feat in another spell-casting tree like sorcerer or wizard is a great way to give yourself ranged capabilities. Luckily, if you need more information on Paladins, there’s an entire guide dedicated to them! Otherwise, your paladins can become a crushing wave of good, which can be both rewarding and extremely limiting.
Druid – Nature’s Fury
The nature of druids is to be incredibly powerful with items from the natural world. Unfortunately, this means that forged weapons and armor are left without proficiency by druids, making them weaker early on. They make up for this with powerful magic and the ability to wild shape which makes them potent once acquired. In this sense, druids have a lot of limitations such as a lack of heavy armor, and being susceptible to silencing. It is one of the less restrictive classes as far as alignment goes, but the uncertainty of items and weapons makes it difficult to play.
Druid
Druids can shine in scenarios where they have ample magic, and early on their good berries can be instrumental. One of the better things that this class has access to is the ability to strengthen natural weapons and gain animal-like traits. Despite this, they have an extreme dependence on their magic which if dispelled can leave them vulnerable. Unlike a class like the wizard, they can’t wear metal equipment in an emergency, making them less viable than most other spell casters.
A good druid build focuses on building themselves up in health and mobility. You have to make your druids more resistant to damage even without the use of magic. Always keeping healing abilities on hand like good berries is a great way of maintaining health early on. Making you tanky in another way, these constant 1d4 healing foods can be a lifesaver in a pinch. Remember that the druid can become a potent ally later on, so maintain as much distance in the beginning as possible until you acquire a wild shape. Alternatively, the flaming sword ability is a very intimidating and powerful skill to have in your arsenal!
Cleric – Healing Supreme
One of the key differences between the paladin and the cleric is that the cleric is capable of healing. It’s these healing abilities that make the cleric one of the best classes in Baldur’s Gate 3. To get these healing abilities, the cleric has to follow the alignment of the paladin. The cleric is the best mid-tier class and can be the best outright if you want to be a hero. It’s true that there are clerics of shadows and stealth, but they also keep you from being a shady cleric.
Cleric
Despite the fact that the cleric is class-aligned with their domain’s bidding, they are definitely a great party member. The cleric has some of the best buffs and debuffs among spellcasters, but he also has a few disadvantages. Because most cleric magic comes at a distance and can be easily silenced, it’s important to build martial talents. Keeping your party alive in desperate situations is the unique advantage of the cleric, just like it is on the table tops.
A good cleric prepares for the moment when their magic is fully depleted, usually by having an arsenal of ranged weapons and scrolls. They specialize in reserving their healing for vital moments, and enduring the combat rather than being a wrath upon it. As long as magic is available, cleric classes can make their allies more potent combatants. Plus, the cleric has spells like spiritual weapons and a mage hand to even the odds! So long as you follow the alignment of your given domain, clerics are great.
High tier – Best Of The Bunch
The high-tier classes in Baldur’s Gate 3 are those that can operate without the boundaries of alignment or limitation. Instead, they are often those classes that give the player the most freedom and creation ability, along with being downright useful. These are also the classes that grant the player the most versatility when it comes to serving in a party setting.
Rogue
Rogue – Versatile Genius
The rogue class is one of the best in Baldur’s Gate 3 due to its constant skill advantage in everyday situations. While the rogue can be one of the softer targets in the game, it also has some of the highest skill checks as well. Using your ranged weapons and sneak attacks can help make up for the disadvantages of your health along with constant mobility. Rogues consistently have the ability to maintain lock-picking and trap-disarming advantages over other classes, valuable for any party.
What makes a rogue lacks in strength it makes up for with intelligence, a useful trait for any character. That being said they are squishy, and constantly at risk of being killed early on. Due to their nature as a light-footed opponent, they don’t wear heavy armor or carry exceptionally heavy weapons. Instead, they prefer ranged attacks and sneaking around for advantages akin to a heavy fighter. Keeping this in mind, the optimal rogue has to keep magic in mind so that they can make up for when their skills are lacking.
In order to maximize their thieving and exploring results, the ideal rogue uses a mix of skills and arcane tricks. You can make the most of simple terrain by exploring paths that your party can also take. Combined with heavy dexterity bonuses and ranged weapons, this can turn a simple rogue into a deadly sniper. Lastly, rogues are second only to bards when it comes to figuring out what’s going on around them as trap setters and smooth talkers!
Wizard
Wizard – Glass Cannons
When talking about Wizards, one has to keep in mind that they trade their endurance for a very high amount of magical skill. Unfortunately, this means they are typically very squishy and must rely on their magic in order to survive in combat. That being said, the wizard class has access to some powerful spells that leave them overwhelmingly superior to most other spell casters. Wizards have the unique ability to absorb scrolls which is exceedingly useful during long hauls.
The problem with wizards comes from their inability to maintain their usefulness once their magic has run out or been suppressed. Because of this, they often lose themselves quickly in battle whenever a matter of martial skill rises to the surface. A good way to counteract this is to focus your wizard on a situation where their allies are constantly able to assist them. Very simply put, there will be a constant shortfall of wizards they are a glass cannon among parties, useful to be in the back of the line.
An optimal wizard is able to gain proficiencies in a weapon outside of staves and wands for when their magic runs out. This way, as a spellsword of sorts, they have the ability to at least defend themselves. No matter how the wizard plays themselves, using magic that’s within their circle will always be more potent than being a generalist. This is an unfortunate situation in Baldur’s Gate 3 seeing the generalist mage is such an interesting combat idea. Despite this, the wizard can be one of the best spell casters in the game.
Sorcerer
Sorcerer – Natural Arcanist
Similarly to wizards, sorcerers have one of the best magical load-outs in the game, but they have more limited use. In contrast to wizards, this class gets magic through innate purposes, similar to what’s portrayed in modern media. As spell casters, sorcerers can use their magic more often, but they have fewer spells overall. The sorcerer can be more useful in and out of combat, and for a longer period of time.
Another perk of the sorcerer is the ability to cast their magic despite being in medium armor; something they try to subscribe to often. This leads to their main issue though, their magic is limited compared to other spell casters. In this regard, they must pick and choose their spells carefully so they can maintain relevance throughout the game. Otherwise, sorcerers are a great way of maintaining your mark no matter how you choose to go about the game. Sorcerers are a great way of increasing your spell potential no matter what class you are, attesting to how useful they are!
The optimal sorcerer doesn’t rely solely on their magical affinity, instead using it to bolster their strengths and weaknesses. In this regard, they are extremely useful in specialized magic, such as utilities or debuffing the enemy. What makes the sorcerer better than other spell casters is their ability to obtain this magic back through simpler methods, and having much more use with these spells.
-source: gamespot
Bards – The Long Haulers
By far the best class in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the Bard, allowing the party to gain an additional rest, and to buff them in and out of combat. The ability to use bardic knowledge is also a valuable asset as any skill check can become instantly easier. The top ability of the bard is to give your allies an additional short rest a day, giving your party more fighting and exploring per long rest. This can be extremely useful for getting through dungeons, as well as speed-running the quest line.
The bard has issues with combat in general unless they have properly prepared themselves beforehand. Bards have decent ranged and melee damage potential so long as they can use songs of inspiration beforehand. They specialize in debuffing the enemy with attacks, which allows the party to get bonus damages or tank their attacks. Bardic magic can be especially potent outside of combat as well. But like other spell casters can lead a bard to being useless when out of said magic. Fortunately, even without magic, the bard is a perfectly powerful asset when in a civilized area. Cities and towns being where they are the masters of obtaining information.
The perfect Bard focuses on bettering their martial abilities along with their potent social skills. By accessing weapon proficiencies and armor bonuses, the bard can become just as useful as a cleric or paladin. Focusing on these martial traits, it’s important that you aren’t casting high-damage magic, but rather using heals and buffs. This will make your party more powerful and able to overthrow any potential threat that comes your way. Just remember, the best bards focus on bettering the party!
The Bard is the best class in the game allowing you to make the most out of a party!
